Separator



J. M. PINGH & J. R. CROSS;

' SEPARATORT Patented-Mar. 26, 1889.

IIIIIIIIIII/IIIIIIIIIIlIIIlIIIIIIIII/llq N4 PETERS. PholOLMugrzgMr. Wnhinglun, D. C.

(Np Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. FINCIT, OF CROCKETT, AND JOHN R. CROSS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SEPARATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,201, dated March 26, 1889. Application filed October 19, 1888. $erial No. 288,580. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN M. FINOH, of Crockett, Contra Costa county, and JOHN R. CROSS, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Separators; and we hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

Our invention relates to that class of machines for separating materials according to their specific gravity by the application of a current of air; and our invention consists, essentially, in a shell or casing having within it a rotating cylinder, freely operating, whereby a rotary current or body of air is created and accompanies the same, an inlet for the feed of the material arranged to deliver it within the sphere of the rotary current or body of air, and independent outlets for the separated materials.

v Figure 1 is a vertical section of our separator. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same.

A is the frame or stand of the machine, which supports the shell or casing 13. \Vithin the upper portion of this shell or casing is mounted a cylinder, C, to which rotation may be imparted in any suitable manner, as by connection with the pulleyD. (Shown in Fig. 2). This cylinder is here shown as being provided with radially-extending wings or blades 0, and it may be made, as shown in Fig. 2, hollow and provided with tight heads.

E is the feed-passage of the machine, having an opening at 6 into the side of the shell or casing near its top, as shown in Fig. 1.

Opposite this feed-opening is a shield-plate, F, which conforms to the curvature of the cylinder or wheel C, but terminating, however, near its bottom. An opposing plate, G, is located within the shell or casing, and forms a passage between itself and the shieldplate, and into this passage the material is delivered. The bottom of the shell or casing is made inclining upwardly to the center, as shown, thus forming a separate discharge or outlet from each side through the passages b.

The general operation of the machine, as far as described, is as follows: The casing or shell is substantially air-tight-that is to say, it is not provided with any openings for the inlet or egress of air. The cylinder 0, being rotated in the direction shown by the arrow Within the shell or casing, creates a rotary current or body of air concentric with itself and accompanying it. The material being fed through the opening 6 into this current or body, where it is uprising, the lighter and worthless portion of the material is caught by the current and carried upwardly by it over the cylinder or wheel and droppeddown on the other side into the left-hand portion of the bottom and passes on down through its proper discharge-pipe. The heavier or precious portion of the material falls down through the uprising current into the right-hand portion of the bottom and passes out through its own discharge-pipe. A separation according to specific gravity is thus obtained. This effect, it will be seen, is due to the rotary body or current of air which accompanies the rotary cylinder or wheel, and the force of this current is governed by the speed of rotation and is graduated in intensity according to its proximity to the cylinder or wheel. In this machine, there being no accession of air, there is no discharge of air. The air within the shell or casing is therefore utilized constantly; and, as above stated, there being no fresh air admitted, the air which is within is needed to make up the full rotary body or current, none being discharged, and, the materials thus separated, each portion passes off without any accompanying air, and consequently without dust. The air within is constantly clearing itself of the material and can be used over and over again.

In machines where a positive blast of air is directed against the material and is blown off again there is always considerable dust; but in our machine as all the air within the casing is utilized in the separation and is practically included within the rotary body accompanying the wheel the separated material simply drops through it and passes out by itself. This rotary current or body of air differs also from the usual blast or suction, in the fact that its intensity increases as the rotating body creating. it is approached. This result, in a graduated effect, cannot be obtained with a positive blast or suction through a passage or trunk.

The shield-plate F is placed over the uprising face of the wheel or cylinder to prevent the material from being fed directly against said wheel or cylinder; but the lower end of the plate, stopping where it does, serves to split or divide the rotary current or body of air, the main body of which passes up in the passage between the plates F and G. The wheel or cylinder itself therefore does not carry up any of the material,which has a clear to space in which it encounters the uprising current of air, and in this current it is separated according to specific gravity, as above described.

Secured to the apex of the bottom of the case or shell is a hinged or swinging valve, II, which is operated by a handle, it, from the outside, and is adapted to be turned to and adjusted in anysuitable position. This valve extends upwardly toward the periphery of the cylinder or wheel and serves to obstruct more or less of the open space between said wheel and the apex of the bottom. Now by turning this valve more toward avertical position this space is decreased to such an extent as to cut oil"; from the passage between the plates F and G in a measure the rotary body of air accompanying the wheel, and thus positively regulate its force and consequent effect. By turning it down a freer passage is given to the ro- 0 tary body of air,which will act more strongly upon the material.

Secured 011 a cross-shaft near the top of the casing and on the uprising side of the cylinder or wheel is a valve, I, which is adapted to 3 5 be adjusted by means of a handle, 2', from the outside. This valve serves to obstruct more or less the space between the periphery of the wheel and the top of the shell or casing and acts as a barrier to the uprising material car ried by the rotary current of air, serving to hold said material for a longer time in suspension, and thus facilitate the separation of the lighter from the heavier stuff.

Having thus described our invention, what 4 5 we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a separator, the combination of a shell or casing having independent discharges or outlets at-its base, a rotary cylinder operating freely within the shell or casing, whereby a rotary current or body of air is created and accompanies the cylinder, and a fecd-inlet for the material to the casing, by which it is di rected into the sphere of the uprising portion 5 5 of the current or body of air, whereby the particles of different specific gravities are separated and are carried to the different discharge-outlets, substantially as herein described.

2. In a separator, the combination of a shell or casing, a rotary cylinder operating freely within the shell or casing, whereby a rotary current or body of air is created and accompanies said cylinder, at feed-inlet for the ma- 6 5 terial, for directing it into the uprising portion of the current or body of air, and a fixed shield-plate opposite the feed-inlet and proteeting the periphery of the cylinder over its uprising portion, substantially as herein described.

3. In a separator, the combination of ashell or casin g, a rotary cylinder operating freely within it, whereby a rotary current or body of air is created and accompanies the cylinder, a

feedinlet for the material, for directing it into the sphere of the uprising portion of the current or body of air, a fixed shield-plate protecting the uprising portion of the cylinder, and an opposing fixed plate forming a passage for the material within the sphere of the current or body of air, substantially as herein described,

4. In a separator, the combination of a shell or casing having independent discharges or outlets at its base, a rotary cylinder operatin g freely within the shell or casing, whereby a rotary current or body of air is created and ac companies it, a feed-inlet for directing the material into the sphere of the uprising portion of the current or body of air, and an adj ustable valve within the shell or casing and extending into the sphere of the current or body of air for regulating it, substantially as herein described.

5. In a separator, the combination of a shell. or casing having independent discharges or outlets at its base, arotary cylinder operating freely within the shell or casing, whereby a rotary current or body of air is created and accompanies it, a feed-inlet for directing the material within the sphere of the uprising portion of the body or current of air, a fixed shield-plate covering and protecting the uprising portion of the cylinder, and an adjustable val've within the shell or casing below the cylinder for regulating the current or body of air, substantially as herein described.

6. In a separator, the combination of a shell or casing having independent discharges or outlets at its base, a rotary cylinder operating freely within the shell or easing, whereby a rotary current or body of air is created and accompanies it, a feed-inlet for directing the material within the sphere of the uprising portion of the body or current of air, and an adjustable valve within the shell or casing at the upper portion of the uprising current or body of air for regulating the suspension of the material, substantially as herein described.

7 In a separator, the combination of a shell or casing having independent discharges or outlets at its base, a rotary cylinder operating freely within the shell or casing, whereby a rotary current or body of air is created and accompanies it, a feed-inlet for directing the material within the sphere of the uprising portion of the body or current of air, an adjustable valve within the shell or casing below the cylinder for regulating the current or body of air, and an adjustable valve within the shell or casing at the upper portion of the uprising current or body of air for regulating the suspension of the material, substantially as herein described.

ITO

the upper end of the fixed shield Within the shell or casing, and the plate G, parallel to said shield, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our I 5 hands.

8. In a separator, the combination of a shell or casing having a feed-inlet and independent diseharge-outlets at its base, a rotary cylinder having fan-blades on its periphery 3' ournaled in said casing and operating freely therein, whereby a rotary air-current is created, a fixed shield parallel with and protecting the uprising portion of the said cylinder, an adj ustable valve 3' ournaled centrally within the shell or casing below for regulating the air-current, an adjustable valve journaled at JOHN M. FINOH. JOHN R. CROSS.

NVitnesses:

S. H. NoURsE, H. 0. LEE. 

